Discipline 09/14/2011
 
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Discipline is the key to hard work, and hard work the key to victory. These well known facts, while being 100% true, do not tell the full story. Discipline is also the key to unlocking the feelings of adequacy and entitlement that are essential to victory. To win, we must believe that we are deserving of victory. In the tightest of moments in a game, there is no time for hesitation or doubt - even a second can throw a usually accurate shooter off his favourite shot, or cause a player to miss an opportunity. Any number of mistakes can result from just a moment’s doubt – so it is naturally of great importance that we control these moments.

Discipline is more than just doing lengths or sending thousands of shots at goal. It is the sense of purpose with which you approach your training, knowing that each and every second you train will undoubtedly contribute towards making you a better player. It allows you to squeeze out every ounce of benefit from training. The current reality is that SACS players will lose concentration many times each practice, denying themselves the chance to really engage with what they are learning. Attention, contrary to many peoples’ conception, is an improvable skill. It takes intense discipline, but by drawing your attention back to your task whenever it strays (Instead of just chalking it up to having a poor attention span and having a laugh), you can greatly improve this skill and reap the rewards both in and out the pool.

Discipline provides more than just the physical tools to compete. Of course, fitness can only be attained through rigorous training, for which discipline is a must. However, even strong muscles can be neutralized by doubt in the heat off the moment. What discipline in one’s endeavours creates is the sense that you’ve earned whatever good may come to you. Many athletes spend hours training only to be consumed by the feeling that they are undeserving and thus incapable of victory. The only way to reverse this feeling is to train to your potential in all facets of the game, mentally shoring up any perceived weaknesses, so that at the beginning of a game, there are no dark corners in your mind holding situations that you hope will not arise. By actively going after your weaknesses, they lose their hold on you, as well as providing the powerful sense of achievement that comes with overcoming an obstacle. This is a difficult and sometimes painful task, as it is never easy to confront your weaknesses. It is also, however, the quickest and truest route to improvement available.

With the relatively small amount of time we spend on improving our water polo – only a few hours each week – it is critical that we make each minute count. Wasting time getting changed, throwing balls around, messing around in between drills or just plain lack of attention robs us of more than just the minutes we lose, it takes away our sense of purpose in training, and ultimately, the ability to think ‘I deserve this, let’s go take victory’.

Discipline is the basis for victory in almost all facets of sport and life. Luckily, the only thing standing between us and discipline is a choice – either we take control of ourselves, or we remain slaves to our self-defeating thoughts.

For more on self-discipline, visit this
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